The Lunatic

I had never heard of Anthony C. Winkler before receiving information from Akashic Books that they were republishing his 1980s comic novel, The Lunatic. But I've seen interesting titles from the house before, so asked for a review copy - and I'm delighted that I did. The story concerns a Aloysius, a Jamaican madman who claims a thousand names, who talks to trees, bushes, and rocks and lives alone in the open forests. He eventually meets a German tourist who sees the world through the lens of a camera and sex. They improbably become lovers, eventually add a third - a butcher - and go through a series of experiences and situations, culminating in the robbery of a rich man's house. I've seen references to Winkler as Jamaica's Mark Twain. His humor manages to be both earthy - the running comments about sex and how it dominates life are funny in a way I find little sexual humor to be - and cerebral at the same time. But the humor isn't something to be enjoyed for its own sake. Winkler uses smiles and laughs as tools to further both the story and the ideas behind it. He deftly starts blending the worlds of the sane and the mad until they mingle, and suddenly he shows how much of modern society really is crazy, and how basic decency is too often viewed as a type of insanity. But that quality really is redemptive. Winkler's use of symbolism is smooth and deep. The thousand names theme, for example, brings an association with the Hindi concept of the thousand names of God, each of which describe an aspect of the deity. The list of words - Aloysius Gossamer Longshoreman Technocracy Predominate Involuted ... and so on - actually read like a list of attributes of life and of people. They were all names he heard, sneaking outside a classroom because he had a desire to learn something. Aloysius isn't a deity, yet he seems to walk with God. Instead of seeing the change in him, we see the changes he works, just by his presence, in all around him. He calls forth mercy, a connection to the world, and true love. Winkler is also a master of language. The book's pacing is smart - fast but not driven - and his use of dialect leaves the characters, and eventually the narration, ringing in your mind. Well, at least mine. I'd strongly recommend this book for a pleasure read that lets something more substantial sneak up on you.

This is undoubtedly the funniest book I have ever read. 10 years ago in my college dorm through peals of laughter, which had everyone thinking I had gone mad - as mad as Aloysius - I read this tale in 24 hours. Since then I have reread the book several times and given copies as gifts for a variety of occasions. Each time, the response of belly ripping laughter has been the same. This is a true depiction of the quintessential Jamaican rural mad man. Those of us who grew up in rural Jamaica know an Aloysius. The theme might seem like a simple silly Jamaican comedy, but the writing style is eloquent and easy. Tony does not skip a beat. I have two criticisms; the first is that we end on an anti-climax as if the writer ran out of ideas or he became tired of writing. Therefore I felt that the tale ended too abruptly. Then again, this feeling could also be due to my desire to have this story go on and on. My second criticism is that I sensed a touch of Condescension by the narattor to ordinary poor country folk. In the Jamaican context, the church going old woman who slept with the mad man would hardly have done such a thing. But then again this is fiction. I guees the problem for me is that when fiction mimics real life so closely, one wants consistency throughout. Nevertheless, I give this five stars - and more - every time I read it.Also recommended: Slip Stream, by Rachel Manley, Orange Laughter, by Leone Ross, Mine Boy by Peter Abrahams.

There isn't much of a tradition of the comic novel in the West Indies. (Naipaul, I suppose, and a couple of others.) Winkler seems in a fair way to be creating a tradition all on his own by combining magical realism and traditional humour.

This was my introduction to Winkler. As a Jamaican/American, I was blown away by the humor and insight into Jamaican life and class structure. The book is sidesplitting, bawdy and wise, as are most of his books. The Lunatic was made into a film in the early 90's. I also highly recommend his latest The Duppy, and his first novel The Painted Canoe. The books are readily available in Jamaica, and probably Britain. Use your connections.

This definitely rates as the funniest and most entertaining book I've ever read, and I usually write in understatements. Apparently it's out of print for unknown reasons, so if you do come across a copy, don't hesitate to buy it - unless you have a weak heart and your doctor prescribed against fits of laughter...I also implore anyone lucky to find it to e-mail me the source straight away since the mate I lent it to hasn't been able to return it for five years. This being said, I shall try and proceed to a serious attempt of literary criticism. While in Jamaica on research for my MA degree thesis on English Creoles (I am a linguist), I was given this book as a good-bye gift from one of my kind hosts at the Mona,Kingston branch of the University of the West Indies. As I had to leave early next morning, I went to bed early that night and started to read the first lines in "The Lunatic" with the firm intention to put it down as soon as sleep settled in. The result was that I did not sleep at all that night, nor did my dorm neighbours due to my rather uncontrolled fits of laughter. Maybe the biggest benefit of Winkler's debut work is that everything I had learnt about the complex history and situation of the English language in Jamaica, in big volumes of erudite linguistic studies, all that was here in this book, in simple and devastatingly droll language. Written by someone who finally seems to dare laugh about the sad socio-linguistic situation of his troubled people , thereby revealing a quintessential trait of Janaican character, which is their mischievous sense of humour.